I had a difficult time trying to think of a good title for this post. I read an article in the Christian Science Monitor today that discussed the bill sponsored by Senators Harkin and Shaheen that would drastically change how the senate has historically conducted business. Some democrats in the senate are lamenting the fact that since they no longer have the 60 votes needed to end a filibuster, the system is unfair. These democrats want to change the rules of the game so that they can force an agenda on a country that is speaking clearly through polling, and seems to be personified by the election of Senator Brown. According to the article:
“It’s time to end the gridlock that’s crippling our government and hurting our ability to tackle the big challenges facing our country,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) of New Hampshire on Thursday as she and Sen. Tom Harkin (D) of Iowa introduced a bill aimed at curtailing the practice.
The Harkin-Shaheen proposal would gradually reduce the number of votes required to overcome a filibuster as time goes by. It might be seen as analogous to retail markdowns, in which merchandise on racks becomes cheaper the longer it remains unsold.
Under the Harkin proposal, the first vote for cloture (the term for ending a filibuster) would require 60 votes, as is current practice. But after a few days had passed, cloture would only require 57 votes. After a few more days, it would require 54, and so on. Eventually a bare majority of 51 votes would be enough.
I believe in a lot of the agenda that the democratic party is pursuing. I believe that we need healthcare reform, just not the bills that have been passed. I believe in immigration reform. I think that the most needy and vulnerable among us must be helped.
I also believe that even those this legislation is not likely to pass, it hurts our party. It makes us look weak in the eyes of the voter and it certainly can come back to haunt us after the 2010 elections. If Republicans win many seats in both houses of congress as polling seems to indicate they might, what do you think will happen when they are in charge?
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